Hide and method of treating the same.



C. E. SCHMIDT. HIDE AND METHOD OF TREATING THE SAME. APPLICATION rum)1411.11.31, 191s. nnnnwnn AUG. 5, 1914.

1,118,813, Patented Nov.24, 1914.

B m A i\\ i? YE! MCGPW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. SCHMIDT, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

1mm AND METHOD OF TREATING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed Harcha1, 1913;3eria111ha. 757,970. Renewed August a,1914'. Serial no. states.

The invention relates it the stretching and drying of hides and skinsduring their treatment and preparation for marketin as leather ready foruse, and has for its 0 ject an improved method of handling and work:ing, whose purpose is to avoid the objection. able features ofunevenness of product and trimming waste incident to the process as nowfollowed, in which the skins are stretched or F put out on smooth,tables,

thereafter removing the hides or skins and stretching them. out onframes, where they. are tacked or, held in place by pins or by togglesuntil the leather is dried. This method is objectionable in that noaccount is or can be taken of the variations in the quality andthickness of the hide, as for example, be-

tween the relatively tough. andtbick part near the center and the flankportions, where the hide isthinner. and more tender. Furthermore, whenthis method of-treatment is followed, there is produced all around theedge of the hide a series of tack holes, be-

tween which there are located unevenly.

stretched portions of theleather, which it is necessary to cut OE anddiscard either at the tannery or when the hide is cut up for its specialuse.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is perspective of a setting-out board with ahide stretched thereover. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, inexaggerated proportions as to thickness, of the board, the hide, and theinterposed mucilaginous film.

The avoidance of this waste, which experience shows amounts to aboutfive per cent, and involves leather otherwise just as good as theportion that is saved as well as the securing of greater uniformity inthe quality of the finished leather, is the object of this invention, inthe carrying out of which I employ a fiat surface A of either wood,metal or glass, or even paper or cardboard, which is coated, just beforethe hide is stretched thcreover, with a film of adhesive or mucilaginoussubstance B such as glue, gelatin,'dextrin, silicate of soda, glu--''cose', Irish moss,- glycerin or soap, and over which the hide C is thenstretched to the do gree desired, and preferably with the grain sidedownward, after which the then exposed surface of the leather is worked,either by the operators hand or by the a plication of a glass or metaltool, until it is attened against the up orting surface A to the degreeand wit t e evenness required, the operator gradually working toward theedge portions, which are the last to be pressed against the coatedsurface A.

The flank portions F of the hide. which are normally the thinnest andmost yielding parts, can thus be worked somewhat thicker by partiallyrolling thereinto and thereover from the adjacent thicker portions ofthe leather, while still wet and plastic, so that its mass is finallybrought very near the standard of the remaining portions ofthe hide.Although both the hide and the applied mucilaginous or adhesivesubs'tauon the finishing surface or table are still Wet by the time this workinghas been com: pleted, I have found that the unionthus 8ecured betweenthehideqand the adjacent poi: tions of the tablesurface is such as to oldthe hide in the degree ,ofgtension and mu. formity of quality to whichit has bee brought while it is drying, so that the hide when dried andready to be moved is of the same size and even quality left by theworker. Moreover, this grain side protected from the light during dryinggiycs a surface of exceptional uniformity of co or or shade. When dry ornearly so, the hide is easily stripped from the finishing surface, andthe character as well as the proportion of the adhesive substance usedis such as to be of no objectionable effect on the finish of the leatheror any subsequent treatment to which it may be desired to Sub ect 1t,and in some instances actually beneficial. ThlS process also results inmaklng all of the leather to the extreme manl' stead of the previouslyperforated edge porfound specially adapted for certain condieing tions.And While I have described the coating of the finishing surface with theadhesive or mucilaginous substance, the soaking of the leather therewithor therein before putting it, thus allowing it to dampen the surfaceover which it is spread out could of course, easily be substitutedtherefor.

The advantages of my invention result from the greater uniformity ofthickness in the diflerent portions of the treated hide and from thedesirable surface condition of the grain side of the dried hide. Thereis much less lossin working the hide up into leather and the surfacedgrain side of the leather is in excellent condition for furthertreatment and use.

By working the grain side of the leather down on the supporting surface,this face of the leather is impressed with the character of the surface.When the surface is smooth, the leather, drying in intimate contact withit, assumes asimilarsmoothness. If the surface is given a grain efiectand the skin is worked grain side down, as above described, and allowedto dry in contact with the surface, the pattern or surface of thesupport will be permanently impressed on this grain side of the leather.Moreover, this surface character will be substantially uniformthroughout the skin, whereas by the present method of boarding, thefineness of the impression varies in the different parts of the skin.

What I claim is 1. The process of treating leather, consisting indampening the same with an adhesive and spreading the same over a planesurface with the grain side down, manually working the thicker portionsof the leather toward and into the thinner portions to efl'eot astandardizing change in the thick ness of each, and leaving the leatherto dry asthus worked into position and held to the plane surface by themucilaginous substance.

2. The process of-treating leather, which consists in working the fleshside of a mucilaginously coated hide so as to diminish the thicknessof'those portions of the hide adjacent the relatively thin flankportions thereof in favor of such flank portions, forcing the grain side'of the hide as thus worked into adhesive contact with a plane surface,pinldi allowing the same to-dry while thus 3. The process of treatingleather, which consists in wetting the same with an adhesive substance,and forcing the grain side thereof into uniform adhesive contact with aplane surface and Working all part-s of the exposed flesh side intosubstantially uniform thickness, and allowing the same to dry while thusheld in position.

4. The process of treating leather, consisting in drawing the same overan adhesively coated plane surface with the flesh side exposed, manuallyworking the thicker portions of the hide over. and into the adj acentthinner portions thereof to effect substantial uniformity in thethickness of the entire hide, and forcing the grain side of' the leatheras thus worked into adhesive contact with said coated plane surface, andallowing the same to dry while thus held.

5. A dried, tanned hide or skin, having a surfaced grain side, thethinner portions of the hide being thickened so that the hide is of moreuniform thickness than the natural hide, substantially as described.

6. A tanned and dried skin or hide, having its grain side surfacedthroughout, the thlnner portions of said hide or skin being worked intothickened condition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

CARL E. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

Nrcn. J. Sononn, WILLIAM M. SWAN.

